The photobook ‘Spicy Seaweed Popcorn’ is the result of mixing reality and memory that the author has accumulated since 2014 to the present day. Based on daily snapshots, it contains everyday snapshots, as well as objects from the outside, such as receipts with data that is about to disappear, traffic fines under the safety net, gym flyers received by chance, and so on. By reconstructing the images, the work attempts to recreate unpredictable external triggers and rules, confronting the contradictions and doubts in reality.

Living abroad is like wandering in a sandwich of fantasy and reality. It is a space of steamy ectoplasm that is difficult to approach with words. There seems to be less and less of a complete sense of belonging to a place. Often the reality is only a fantasy, and what seems irrational in the memory of the fantasy is portrayed as a new reality.Published in 2023

Published in 2023
20.3 x 27.3 cm
144 pages
Website Link to Book: Here

Showcased as part of Jimei x Arles: Travelling Photobook Showcase at the 9th SIPF Photobook Showcase

Artist Biography:

Tingting Ma (b.1994) was born in Liaoning, China. She graduated from the Department of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, Hongik University in Korea, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in photography at Hongik University. She currently lives and works in Seoul, Korea. Her creative approach is based on photography as the core medium, and also involves a variety of expressions such as books and installations, through which she tries to explore the intricate relationship between the individual and the social environment. The starting point of the work is to reflect on the impact of consumerism and rapid development on people’s situation. Major exhibitions include “Standing here wondering where to go” (FF Seoul, KR, 2023), “Portrait: Self and others” ( PhotoPlace Gallery, USA, 2022), “Seoul, Space” (Yart Gallery, KR, 2019) and others.